Blueway Trail surveying set for summer

This summer the Bureau of Land Management will be floating the Big Horn River, and they are inviting the public to join them.

The project comes as agencies such as BLM, Wyoming Game and Fish and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, along with the Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative, look to develop the Blueway Trail along the river from Thermopolis to Lovell. “I think the main point is just trying to get people out on the river and enjoying it, and for us, increasing access to public lands,” BLM Cody Field Office Outdoor Recreation Planner Rick Tryder said.

The goal of the Blueway Trail is to increase recreational opportunities for both locals and tourists – with the potential for economic benefit to towns along the river that could provide services to river goers. Tryder explained that the Blueway could offer increased public land access for fishermen, hunters and campers, and ideally would service rafters, kayakers, inner-tubers and more, with the intention of providing “something for everyone.”

“It’s a beautiful area, and people should have the right to get and enjoy those public lands safely… We’re really just trying to get people excited about it,” Tryder said.

Tryder noted that presently, more development is needed from Greybull north, where there are fewer access points. As such, progress is expected to start north and work its way south. To facilitate a trail along the river, the involved agencies will look to improve safety and convenience for recreationalists by determining where access points are needed. Tryder noted that many of the BLM parcels along the river are “landlocked,” so discussions with private landowners to hear their concerns about increased river use and access will also be part of the project as it develops.

BLM will be weighing the cost-benefit of increased recreational use and habitat encroachment through their assessments, with wildlife biologists participating in the planning of access points to avoid harmful interactions. “I don’t think it’s going to turn into the next Snake River, where you just have overuse,” Tryder said. “Proper education and stewardship is what we’re trying to promote.”

For this summer, surveying BLM parcels along the river as potential entry sites and developing an understanding of user experience will be main focuses of the project. BLM will be looking for situations where increased public education, safety measures, and potential hazards may come into play.

Along with several public floats yet to be scheduled, Tryder invited the public to participate in National Trails Day on June 3 by volunteering with BLM to clean up current and potential access points along the Big Horn River. More information on how to get involved will become available in the coming weeks.